by KEVIN LOUIS ome people have astereotypi- cal image of a folk singer as an aging hippie stuck on singing social, moral, and political issues per- tinent to the 1960’s and ’70s. Other misinformed people think folk sing- ers are areligious organization holed up in Utah practicing polygamy. Last March 1 singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked played to two sold out shows at the Commodore Ball- room. Dressed like a beatnik from the 50s (black Lenin hat, black sweater, black pants) Michelle strolled casually onto the stage singing the first cut off her new album, Short Sharp Shocked. The audience didn’t seem to mind her costume or the label of “folk singer” stuck onto her by the press. They quickly grooved onto her spunky sense of humour and her songs of real people and real situations. Rather than build- ing up the audience’s momentum to her hit single, Anchorage, she launched into iton her second song. It surprised and delighted the audience who were mainly a mixture of people wearing designer scents like Calvin Klein’s Ha you € VOL.4 NO.6 1989 Eternity and people wearing jean jack- ets with the fresh scent of home-grown weed. With the hit single out of the way Michelle was able to fully relax on stage and sing whole heartedly on other songs equally good, such as Memories of East Texas and an acoustic version of Fogdown. Michelle also had a comic’s wit as she quickly silenced the hecklers by advising one man to “stop being an asshole.” And before she sang her a cappella version of Steve Goodman’s The Ballad of Penny Evans ( a heart- breaking song about the young widow ofa Vietnam Vet) an audience member reminded her it wasn’t Canada’s war. She replied, “Well, I hope you enjoy our acid rain.” Michelle’s easy stage personality broke down many of the barriers between audience and per- former to make the concert a thor- oughly enjoyable evening. Opening for Michelle Shocked was Toronto’s Cowboy Junkies. They sang a brief but good set of melancholy country, folk and blues. Frontperson Margo Timmins was a riveting singer as she languidly took the audience ona dreamy date down a country road on a warm summer’s night. Her blue voice livened up classics such as Elvis Pre- sely’s Blue Moon, Patsy Cline’s Walk- ing After Midnight, and Lou Reed’s Sweet Jane which, by the way, is re- ceiving airplay on some local radio stations. The Cowboy Junkies are a talented group of performers and it won’t be long before they break out on the international music scene. 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